I wake up at 5:30 am every morning and go to bed at 10:30 pm every night. The early bird gets the worm, right? I’ve been waking up this early for about two months now and I can’t stress enough how much my productivity has increased and how much better I’m feeling, both mentally and physically! Now you don’t have to wake up at 5:30am, or go to bed at 10:30pm, but I’m going to share some of the benefits of waking up earlier, whether that’s simply 30 minutes, an hour, or three hours earlier!
1. More time
A normal weekday for me consists of two hours of working out, classes, homework, work-work, tennis practice, an hour of self-development, and eating. If I were to wake up right before my 9 am, I’d be losing over three hours of time to accomplish all of these daily responsibilities. By waking up earlier, I can go to the gym and make breakfast before classes so I’m not starving by lunchtime. I value this extra bit of time more than anything.
2. Productivity
I don’t know about you, but I get so much more work done in the morning. At night, I just want to get under the covers and watch Netflix or YouTube. Waking up earlier gives me an extra couple hours to focus on what I need to prioritize in my day, whether that’s studying, writing a paper, or just mentally preparing for the day. Waking up earlier gives you the chance to watch a favorite tv show before classes, or jams out to music so that you’re not trying to multitask everything in the evening.
Waking up early isn’t easy at first. It takes a lot of willpower to get going before the sun rises. So here are some tips that I’ve come to use that help me jump out of bed no matter how early it is!
1. Plan to shower in the morning.
I get it. Some of you don’t like to sleep without showering before. That’s totally fine! This is for those of you who aren’t as picky about that, like me. Waking up and getting in the shower is one of the most energizing starts to my morning, especially ending with ten minutes of cold water. You’re not going to want to go a whole day without showering, so scheduling your shower for the morning will (hopefully) get you up and to it a bit earlier
2. Make breakfast or go to a dining hall for breakfast.
Pancakes, bacon, blueberry muffins, a bowl of cereal and apple juice, yes please! Cooking myself breakfast is a great way to clear my head before the rush of my day begins and is the best way to get a full meal in to start the day! Plus, good breakfast food always motivates me to get up early. Maybe even plan to get breakfast with some friends at a dining hall so you can keep yourself accountable!
3. Go to the gym.
Just do it!! I won’t go over all of the benefits, but morning workouts are great for the body in more ways than just sweating! We all have goals to build muscle, lose body fat, gain weight, lose weight, etc, so literally, get your butt in the gym before classes so you don’t have to worry about it interfering with your daily schedule.
There’s a mental strength that comes with waking up early. But day after day, waking up earlier is extremely gratifying and I can say from my own experience has increased my productivity daily overall. The benefits outweigh the costs, and these tips will help you as you transition over to an earlier morning. Find a time that’s right for you, and you won’t regret it.